noun. ˈdīˌnastˈäləjē. 1. The study, and formal recording, of a dynasty or dynasties; 2. The descent of a person, family, or group from a dynasty or dynasties; a type of lineage or pedigree; 3. A record or table of such descent; a dynastic tree.

Sections

Future Ideas

The following are ideas for future posts I've had. As I think up more, I will add them to this list. Feel free to suggest other concepts or specific dynasties you would like to see reviewed.

Terms, Ideas & Arguments:

One Birth Away from Infamy: Dynastic Beginnings — A survey of various means through which dynasties can begin, including inheritance, elevation, election, acclamation, and conquest.

Dynastic Death: How to Kill a Dynasty — A survey of the various means through which dynasties can end, including intentional death (the "virgin queen effect"), blocked succession ("Sebastian syndrome"), female inheritance (rarely possible with dynasties that practice Salic Law), mass regicide (the "Tudor solution"), and extinction.

How Monarchy Went Out of Style — A summary of the past 100 years of monarchies and why they are on the way out.

Queens & Children: The Lifeblood of a Dynasty — A review of queens and children and how their marriages, births, and deaths effect the health of a dynasty as a whole.

Isolationism versus Expansionism: How Overexpansion Kills a Dynasty — A comparison of various large empires that over exhausted themselves to such a degree that the ruling dynasty was pushed out in favor of a more stable dynasty with better governmental skills. Examples include Qing China and Alexander's Macedon. Isolationist cultures include Japan and Korea.

Why Did Monarchies Arise? — A look into the origins of dynasticism as far back as historical records are available, beginning with Sumer and Ancient China and moving into the Classical Era.

Inheritance Trees: The Points at Which an Empire Grows — A survey of two new dynastological terms—inheritance trees and inheritance points—that are being developed to describe important moments in dynasties and document the ebb and flow of a dynasty.